Gary Nelthropp wanted something from his father, who was master distiller for Cruzan Rum.
It was a simple yet fabulous request.
Blend the perfect rum.
“Before they were available on shelves,” Nelthropp says, “we’d share our ‘perfect rums’ with family and close friends, and today they’re available for everyone to enjoy.”
Gary’s father, Hardy Nelthropp, a second-generation master distiller for Cruzan, created the Cruzan Distiller’s Collection.
“Beyond its ties to my family, our Distiller’s Collection, like all Cruzan Rum, is one of the cleanest you will find. Our standards for distillation and aging are key,” Gary says. “Each expression boasts a selection of high-quality rums aged five or more years and is blended to create the perfect balance of oak, vanilla and other bakery notes and no alcohol burn. One taste and we have ambassadors for life. This rum speaks for itself.”
Hardy, master distiller until 2007, created these special rums: Estate Diamond Light and Dark and a Single Barrel — all 80 proof — products of a five-column distillation process aged up to 12 years in used American oak bourbon barrels, which are placed in open-air warehouses, taking in the tropical breezes of St. Croix.
The Estate Diamond Light is softly aged, giving it an almost clear but slightly golden color. This light rum goes well with cola, but Gary likes it with tonic or soda and a squeeze of lime. The Estate Diamond Dark picks up more notes from the barrel, including undertones of caramel and vanilla. It’s best neat but stands up to a splash of water or one ice cube. Both rums are quite smooth, with just a small bite on the finish.
The extra time spent in a new American oak cask is prevalent in the Single Barrel offering. It’s deep, amber color is consistent with its rich notes, hinting of butter and dried fruit, as well as the usual suspects — caramel and vanilla. Take it neat or with one cube. Gary suggests an orange peel for garnish, but nothing more.
“I’m proud of all of our rums,” Gary says, “but Single Barrel is really special. To craft this expression, we carefully blend a variety of rums aged between five and 12 years before re-barreling it in a new American Oak barrel and patiently aging it once more. The rum is then bottled and individually numbered one cask at a time. It’s well rounded, mellow and full-bodied.
“My family has been crafting rum on the island for generations — and continues with our care and craftsmanship. As I mentioned, we combine the best ingredients, like water from our tropical aquifers and high-quality sugarcane molasses, and closely monitor and control each stage of our distillation process. The result is a “clean” taste and smoothness that is rare among rums.
“I also believe St. Croix, the island we call home, infuses our rum with a special ‘spirit.’ Even our name — Cruzan — reflects the people of St. Croix (Crucians). It’s as much a part of our rum as the molasses and water.”
Cruzan Rum provided me sample bottles for this story.